Yours and Mine
by quickand2thepointless
Summary: A 30 Day KuroFai one-shot/drabble collection for the Horitsuba Gakuen universe. Kurogane and Fai may be teachers, but it's time for them to learn a few lessons in finding and falling in love! One-shots are interrelated and non-chronological, some chapters rated M. Many other CLAMP characters featured!
1. Photograph

**A/N: **Soooo, I'm heading off to grad school, so there won't be as much time for fanfic writing in my future. But I can't exactly go on without writing it, so I had to find a solution to my upcoming lack of free time. To make things a little easier on me, I'm undertaking one of those 30 Day one-shot/drabble challenges for the Kuro/Fai pairing so I don't have to work on a single storyline or under a writing schedule. The one-shots will be interrelated (and not chronological), but will come out whenever I have a moment rather than on a weekly basis like my regular posting schedule.

I've also decided to do Horitsuba verse, because I haven't really done all that much of it yet. And it's fun!

For now, I have most of my challenges picked out, but I have about eight or so blank, so if any of you have requests, I'll see if I can work it in. As for now, enjoy!

**Rating: **T some chapters and M for others. Rated M for the protection of oh so innocent youth.

**Disclaimer: **Horitsuba is from the genius fangirl minds of CLAMP. Bow to them!

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**One: Photograph**

There was a large thunk on the door to Kurogane's dormitory, and a moment later his roommate Touya Kinomoto stumbled in, his hands full with the latest edition of the Horitsuba Student and Alumni Journal. Since it covered all of the divisions of Horitsuba Gakuen- the kindergarten, middle school, university, and even the students who had already graduated- it was about the same size as an encyclopedia, if not bigger. It was a bit of a mystery among the students as to how Yuuko and her many minions kept track of every student who had every existed within the Horitsuba community, but Kurogane frankly didn't want to know anything about what she'd dug up about them. He threw away his copy of the Student Journal as soon as it passed through his hands since what the other students in his university were doing didn't interest him in the slightest.

Touya slammed the Journal into the dead center of his desk, the only part of it that wasn't smothered with framed photos of his sister Sakura and boyfriend Yukito. Kurogane didn't know why he even bothered collecting pictures of them since Touya already spent nearly every waking minute either checking up on Sakura in Horitsuba's grade school or biking around campus with Yukito, but having them there did seem to give him extra inspiration when he was studying, so Kurogane let the matter drop.

"Did your sister do something spectacular again?" Kurogane asked, watching as Touya paged through the lengthy table of contents. Sakura was always winning service awards thanks to her generous personality, and if there was ever a drawing or lottery at a Horitsuba event, she was more often than not the grand prize winner.

"Not this time. This edition has an update on what our old upperclassmen are up to."

"Who cares?"

"I don't, for the most part. But I heard that one of the sempai was added to the roster as a teacher for Horitsuba High."

"And...?"

"Sakura will be graduating into the high school class."

"And...?"

"I can't have some creep teaching her, can I?"

"Ah." Kurogane made a mental note to avoid the High School division when filing for his placement preferences. He was currently in the education department with a special focus in physical education, but he hadn't decided yet which age group he wanted to teach. While he was sure he definitely wouldn't be any good with kids and might be better off with working with Horitsuba High students, he didn't want to get involved with anything Touya would be sticking his overprotective nose in.

"Oh, good," Touya said, sighing in relief. "It's just Fai-sempai. Looks like he'll be teaching Chemistry."

The pen Kurogane had been holding slipped from his fingers, clattering down to his desk. "Who," he said, gritting his teeth, "made that _idiot_ a teacher?"

"You don't like Fai-sempai?"

Kurogane couldn't blame Touya for sounding so surprised. Everyone in Horitsuba had liked Fai-sempai. He was just one of those people who seemed to have something in common with everyone. Even the people who pretended not to like Fai-sempai due to his overly bright, overly affectionate personality secretly couldn't help but like him. Before he'd graduated from Horitsuba U, he'd been one of the most popular people on campus.

He was the exact sort of person Kurogane usually would have been more than happy to ignore. Except for some reason, he hadn't been able to keep from noticing him in spite of his best efforts. From the very first moment he'd laid eyes on him (Fai had been contorting himself to snag a drank from the nearly broken water fountain in the courtyard, Kurogane had just happened to be passing by), he would find his gaze falling on him as if led there by some sort of magnetic force. And no matter how many stupid, obnoxious, and downright annoying things he watched Fai do, no matter how much he grumbled and complained to himself, no matter how frequently he tried to convince his brain that it was processing everything all wrong, he simply couldn't stop himself from looking for Fai.

Needless to say, he hated Fai for making him weird. Because there was no way that he would ever have an interest in someone so positively sickening if he hadn't somehow been tricked into it.

"Wasn't Fai-sempai in the education department with you?" Touya pressed. "So of course they would make him a teacher."

Kurogane snorted. "That guy probably never studied anything in his life! How the hell did he manage to pass the Chemistry curriculum?"

"Er, Fai-sempai only pretends to be an idiot, you know. He's actually very smart, I've heard."

Kurogane knew that. He knew quite a bit about Fai from observing him for so long (_"not my fault, it's all because that idiot somehow damaged my brain"_), but all the same he had been hoping Fai wouldn't make it through the education department so they wouldn't end up having the same profession as each other.

He leaned over Touya's shoulder, skimming the article about Fai. It was accompanied by a picture of the blonde wearing a long white lab coat and holding up a beaker filled with bubbling liquid. Kurogane's heart suddenly felt like there was a rock sitting on it. He hadn't seen Fai since he'd graduated from Horitsuba U, and simply looking at a photo of him made him feel like he'd gone an unsafe amount of time without something he desperately needed.

"He'll probably end up blowing up a building or something," Kurogane muttered. He didn't actually think Fai was that incompetent, but just the act of saying something dismissive made him feel like himself again.

"I'm just impressed that you actually care about what he's doing," Touya said, slamming the heavy Journal shut and accidentally causing a tremor big enough to knock one of the pictures of Yukito over (Touya quickly righted it again, brushing his boyfriend's cheek with his thumb as if to apologize for hurting him). "You usually ignore everyone who has nothing to do with you."

"Hmph," Kurogane said, returning to his desk. If only it were that simple. If only he could just ignore him like he did everyone else.

Touya chucked the Journal off of his desk and proceeded to fill out his economics homework with record speed. "I'm taking Yuki, Sakura, and Tomoyo-chan out for ice cream, want to come?" It was a courtesy invitation; Kurogane usually preferred to work out by himself after finishing up his assignments, and as a future teacher, he didn't feel comfortable interacting casually with his potential students.

"Nah. You go on."

"All right. I'll be back before curfew."

As soon as Touya was safely out of the room, Kurogane dug through his desk for the blank Placement Preference form he'd been putting off filling out. His pen hovered over the words "Horitsuba High," prepared to circle it.

_Do I really want to spend my career in the exact same place he is? _

_Do I want to spend it in a place he isn't?_

He grit his teeth. "Someone sane needs to be there to make sure he doesn't do something stupid," he muttered. He quickly circled Horitsuba High and tossed the pen aside.

Before folding the sheet up and sticking it back in his desk, he reached down and grabbed the copy of the Journal that Touya had left behind. He opened it to the same page as Fai's picture and tucked the form in as a bookmark. Maybe he could understand why someone would want to keep a few pictures of someone else, someone special, around. Maybe just a little.

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	2. Play

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed! Here's something short, sweet, and fluffy for you!

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**Two: Play**

"All done," Fai chirped, lifting up the long red and black dress he had just finished fitting an extraordinarily ruffled collar to. "Did I do it right?"

"It's perfect, Fai-sensei," Watanuki said, nodding in approval. He was in the middle of fitting elastic around the waist of the petticoat that would be worn under the plain blue dress he had finished making last week. "You have a real knack for this. Unlike some people." Watanuki glared at Doumeki, who had been sneaking behind him in an attempt to plunk down homemade rabbit ears on his head.

"I've still got nothing on you, Watanuki-kun! The play for this year's cultural festival is going to be the best ever thanks to these costumes." Fai winked. "And the casting."

"About the casting..."

"You can't change it," Doumeki said. "We voted for Watanuki fair and square."

"But I'm a _guy_. I can't play Alice!"

"Girl-sounding Mokona will be playing the Mad Hatter, and she'll do her best with all her might!" Larg said, jumping up on Watanuki's head and whacking him on his forehead. "Watanuki should, too!"

"But that's different!"

"Now, now," Fai said, lifting his hand. "I'll be in charge of direction, so what could possibly go wrong, Watanuki-kun? I'll guide you to becoming the best Alice-chan ever!"

"And I'll do your makeup for you!" Himawari-said. Watanuki's face at last collapsed into a goofy grin. If Himawari approved of his Alice transformation, how could he say no?

"It's too bad Sakura-chan isn't here to try on her dress. I guess I'll just have to add it to the costume rack and save it for her next time." Fai slid the dress onto an available hanger and hooked it next to one of the maid uniforms that had been used for the Maid Cafe that Class B had put on. His hands lingered on the uniform for a moment, his mind immediately coming up with several X-rated fantasies about what would happen if he wore it in Kuro-tan-sensei's bedroom. If only it was just a few sizes bigger...

Kurogane himself stuck his head in at that moment, glancing warily at the mess they had made in the Home Ec room. "Oi, time to clear out," he said. "The janitorial staff is here to lock up the building."

"All right. We can finish up the rest tomorrow." Fai helped the students get their projects on the rack and neaten up the loose bits and bobs to stick back in the sewing basket. "Back to the dorms! I'll wheel the costume racks into storage. Bye-bye, everyone!"

Watanuki, Doumeki, Himawari, and the Mokonas said their goodbyes and headed out to the campus to walk back to their rooms. Kurogane lingered by the door, waiting for Fai to finish up (though he was in actuality pretending to read off the program schedule pinned to the door for the sake of his dignity). Fai once again thanked his lucky stars that he'd pulled a few strings with Yuuko to make sure Kurogane was assigned the room next door to his; it made it so much easier for them to justify walking home together.

"Nee, Kuro-chan-sensei," Fai said, wheeling the costume rack forward. "Do you have space in your room for these?"

"Huh? Is there something wrong with the storage room?" Kurogane scowled at the bright colors dangling from the rack. It would look completely garish next to the black-and-white and bland room interior he'd settled on in the faculty and staff dorms.

"I was just thinking that it might be fun to have these handy, nee? Think of all the possibilities for cosplay se-"

Kurogane clamped his hand over Fai's mouth. "Those. Are. For. The. Students," Kurogane choked out, looking split between fury and absolute horror at the thought of Fai using Doumeki's White Rabbit costume for lewd purposes.

"Spoilsport," Fai teased. "Some of these were used years ago. Most of the time they're just languishing in storage, going to waste. Isn't it kind of rude to the students who put all that work into these if we never even use them again, nee?"

"Absolutely not!" Kurogane jerked the rack away from Fai's grip. "In fact, let me take care of these from now on. Just focus on helping the kids with the play and cut it out with the funny ideas!"

"But Kurooooo-riiiin, don't you remember how fun it was when we did a Maganyan cosplay that one time, and you couldn't resist fuc-"

"AAAAH!" Kurogane placed his hand back over Fai's mouth. "That's enough! You know what? After we get these into _storage, where they belong,_ you and I are going to go back and do it like two normal, healthy adults who don't get turned on by weird things!"

Fai grinned. "I thought we couldn't because the new episode of the Maganyan anime was airing?"

"I'll just record it," Kurogane said impatiently. "Come on, let's go."

Fai's grin widened. _I win_, he thought to himself, his mind already composing a new vision for his next X-rated trip to Wonderland.

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	3. Button

**A/N: **Class was canceled today, so it's time for a new chapter. Another short one, sorry! This one is based on the drama CD where Yui-sensei is introduced, in which KuroFai goes on a treasure hunt and Kurorin is able to solve the final puzzle of telling Fai and Yui apart based on the color of the thread on one of his buttons. Our Kuro-sensei is so observant when it comes to Fai! Enjoy!

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**Three: Button**

One of the best parts about working for Yuuko-sensei was that she always seemed to have an unlimited supply of alcohol at her disposal whenever the occasion called for it. By time they had worked through Yui's Italian wines after he'd surprised them all by showing up at Horitsuba to take on the Cooking/Home Ec post, she'd had sake and beer at the ready so the teachers could get thoroughly drunk in their celebration. And when even those had run out (mostly thanks to Yuuko and the Monkonas' bottomless pit stomachs), she'd almost gone back to her office for more until Watanuki and Kurogane had forced her to call it a night.

Fai for one had been more than happy to overindulge. Drinking didn't depress him like it did some people; if anything, it seemed to put him in an even better mood than his typical state of constant cheeriness. He was genuinely thrilled to have Yui back, and he wanted to be able to focus on those good emotions without any distractions. If he had allowed his mind to stay sober, he was sure he would have dwelled on certain things for too long, reading perhaps a little too much into the treasure hunt he'd participated in with Kurogane to find Yui.

"Fai?" Yui poked his head out of the bathroom they were now sharing. "I'm all done in here if you want to come in."

Yui didn't seem drunk at all, but it was hard to tell with him. He and Fai were both half-way decent at holding their liquor, but after so many years spent in Europe's restaurant industry, Yui now seemed to have the edge over his twin.

"I will later," Fai said, rolling over onto his stomach. "You and I haven't gotten to talk alone yet."

Yui laughed quietly. "You're drunk, you know. You may end up saying something stupid."

"Aren't you, too?"

"Not quite." He reached down to wrap his arms around Fai's shoulders. "Though it's good to be back. I loved Italy, but it was getting a bit lonely."

"You didn't meet anyone special?"

"No, but I see you did. So things are finally working out with Kurogane-san?"

"Finally? We've always been on good terms, haven't we?"

"Fai, you had it penned down as an unrequited love until the very last minute. And you've had a thing for him for _years_. But you guys are really dating now, right? It's not just sex?"

Fai giggled and hiccupped. "Nee, Yui, I really do think it's serious. Of course, I'm _always _serious, but Kuro-tan-sensei must be, too. I mean..." He trailed off, laughing even harder. "I mean what kind of guy knows someone so well that he'll notice it's not them if a single thread on a _button _is different!" He took a deep breath, trying to hold back his laughter. He hadn't felt like laughing when Kurogane had told him the reason why he'd been able to tell Fai from Yui; his uncontrollable chuckling right now was only the alcohol speaking. At the moment when it had happened, he'd wanted to cry, because never before in his entire life had he ever dreamed that someone would know him so well and still be able to love him so much.

He hiccupped again. "I don't know what to do, Yui. I'm so happy that I don't even know what to do. I'm going to be so happy that he won't be able to take it anymore. It's kind of scary."

Yui laughed, too, leaning his head against Fai's. "Good thing I'm here, then. I'll make sure to calm you down whenever you need it. Speaking of which, you're incredibly drunk right now and should probably go to bed, okay? Give me your clothes, and I'll throw them in the laundry."

"Not the shirt," Fai said, wrapping his arms around his chest. "I'd like to keep it on a bit longer, mmkay?"

Yui smiled wryly. "Whatever you say."

While his twin went around the room gathering their dirty things, Fai curled up in bed, his arms pressed against the button with Kurogane's blue thread showing through the holes. Even in his drunken state, he knew what it meant, how fortunate he was to have someone who saw him clearly, down to the very last detail.

"Thanks, Yui," Fai mumbled into the collar of his shirt as he drifted off to sleep. "Today was the best day ever."

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	4. Lucky

**A/N: **Whhhaaattt, another short one? I never used to write short things! Looks like grad school is helping me become truly quick and to the pointless! Luckily, the next one on my line-up is a longer one, because the longer they are, the more KuroFai there is, right? For now, here's a new Kuro-centric fluffy chapter. Enjoy!

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**Four: Lucky**

Kurogane was having a horrible morning. He'd overslept for one, then proceeded to accidentally boil his tea for too long and burn his mouth when he tried to drink it. He couldn't find his sweatpants in the closet, the hot water wasn't working in his shower, and there was a memo about some stupid school event with mandatory attendance pinned to his refrigerator (and just how was Yuuko continuing to break into his dorm when he changed the locks regularly?). He ended up running late and just barely making it to the Horitsuba High campus before the first bell rang.

The afternoon was hardly better. He'd planned to have Class A do a mile run on the outdoor track, but as soon as they were dressed and prepping themselves on the starting line, it started raining out of nowhere. They'd managed to clean up quickly and make it back to the gym, but with their wet sneakers and damp clothes, they couldn't do the run properly indoors, and he didn't have anything else planned. He had to give them a free period for lack of a better idea, and though the students were thrilled, he was annoyed with himself for his poor planning.

When it came time for lunch, he made it back to his office only to realize he hadn't made a bento. Yui usually took care of it, but he and Fai were running short of food and hadn't been able to go grocery shopping yet. Yuuko wasn't even hanging around his office being her annoying self while showing off the food she'd bummed from Watanuki, so there was nothing around even to steal. He could always head over to the cafeteria, but he'd left his wallet back in his dorm, and even if he walked back to get it, he'd miss lunch period anyways.

Kurogane dug through his pockets, hoping to pull up at least a few coins to spend in a vending machine, but the only thing there was a thin strip of paper and a scrap of stationery. He pulled the smaller strip out first and opened it. "Ill luck will dampen your day if you forget your lucky item," he read. It was from a fortune cookie. He couldn't remember eating one for months, and even if he had, he doubted he would have kept the fortune, especially if it was a bad one.

He opened up the second bit of paper, which was filled with Fai's handwriting. "I ate the cookie Yuuko-sensei left for you this morning, sooooorrry," Kurogane read, wrinkling his nose (and how the hell had Fai gotten in when Kurogane hadn't given him keys to the new locks yet?) "Your fortune wasn't very good, but I looked up your lucky item, and it's your loved one, so you'd better go see me during lunch so your day doesn't get too bad! *wink* *wink*"

Kurogane shoved both his fortune and Fai's note back in his pocket. He didn't believe in superstitions as much as Fai did, but it would be worth it going to visit Fai in the lab if he could dig up some food there. Fai was usually a good source for sweets, which Kurogane hated, but like Yuuko, he also tended to have samples of Yui and Watanuki's cooking on him at all times.

Fai was sitting on one of the tables when Kurogane came in, eating his way through a box of bonbons with a pleased grin on his face. He didn't have a bento anywhere nearby either, but Kurogane knew from experience that he kept a stash of chocolates given to him by his students in the bottom drawer of his desk, which was pretty much a sufficient enough lunch in Fai's estimation.

"Got anything else?" Kurogane asked, turning up his nose at the bonbons. "Rice cakes and meat, or something?"

Fai leaned forward and grabbed Kurogane's collar, pulling him into a too-sweet kiss. "I have a bit of good luck for my Kuro-rin, that's all," Fai said, licking his lips. "You look miserable."

"I'm starving. And you taste horrible right now, like a bomb of candy exploded in your mouth."

"You just can't take it being away from your lucky item for so long. I tried to wake you up this morning, but you wouldn't move."

"Didn't try hard enough," Kurogane muttered. "And you're not an item."

"No, but I'm very, very lucky, aren't I?" He wrapped his legs around Kurogane's, pushing him forward for another kiss. And another and another. They held onto each other long enough for Kurogane to completely lose track time until Fai pulled away and smiled up at him. "You'll have a better day now, nee?"

The bell signaling the end of lunch period rang as soon as the words were out of his mouth. _Lucky my foot_, Kurogane thought. _I still didn't get anything to eat out of it. In a manner of speaking._

He made his way back to the gym, holding onto his stomach and grumbling. He didn't notice for a few minutes that the rain had stopped and the sun was high overhead, evaporating all the moisture that had already fallen. _Well, at least there's that, _he thought when he finally looked out the window. _The mile run is back on for Class B._

A few seconds later, Himawari rushed by, her hands full with cans of green tea. Her eyes lit up when she saw Kurogane. "The vending machine spit out too many, and I don't have time to go back to my locker," she said, thrusting one forward. "Do you want one, Kurogane-sensei?"

She waited just long enough for him to tentatively reach out and grab it before running off to her class with a quick "Thank you!"

Kurogane pulled the tab open and took a drink. _Well, at least there's that._

"Kurogane-sensei!"

Watanuki was walking down the hall, balancing a tray of rice cakes in his hands. "Yui-sensei and I made these in the Home Ec room, but there's way too many," he said, extending the tray. "Want to take a few before Doumeki catches up and eats them all?"

Kurgoane stared at him for a moment in bemusement. "This is too suspicious," he muttered. "That Chemistry teacher didn't put you up to it, did he?"

"Fai-sensei? No, I haven't seen him yet today."

"Hmph," Kurogane said, but he picked up a few rice cakes anyways.

"Please enjoy it, Kurogane-sensei! And have a good day!"

Kurogane shook his head. He wasn't superstitious by any means, but making sure to get a kiss from his lucky item every morning was starting to sound like exactly the kind of fortune he wanted.

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	5. Obsession

**A/N: **Hehehe, I was looking forward to this one. I love backstory! Also, since I was talking about high school class levels in this section, I tried to stick to first year, second year, etc terms since I'm pretty sure more countries use them, but I intended for Kurogane to be a Junior and Fai to be a Senior. Enjoy.

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**Five: Obsession**

Fai saw Kurogane for the first time when they were still in Horitsuba High. Kurogane had just transferred into the third year class from one of the public schools in the country after winning a sports scholarship, and his name was on the lips of every girl in the school, even the fourth years in Fai's class who boasted of their sophisticated tastes. _So strong, so handsome, so manly. _Most of Fai's friends were getting annoyed that an interloper was stealing all the attention that they had hoped would fall on them, but all of Fai's ire was directed towards the girls who were chasing after the new student with a borderline disturbing fervor. With all the effort it took to ignore his fans, there was no chance that Kurogane was going to notice the one person watching him _quietly_, even if it was one of the most popular guys in school.

Fai wasn't quite sure what he liked about Kurogane. He was good looking, of course, and definitely fit, but from what Fai could glimpse of his personality, he had a bad attitude and didn't seem to like people very much. Most who approached him were greeted with grumbles and glares, and when pestered, his temper seemed unreasonably quick to flare. He did manage to make casual friends with the equally temperamental Touya (_already taken_, according to Fai's research) and the leading female athlete Souma (_also taken_, thankfully), but there was no one he was intimately close to in his circle.

Fai, on the other hand, drew in people like flies. He didn't necessarily like all of them or count them each as his friends, but he could interact with them politely and entertain them if they wanted entertainment. But like Kurogane, he didn't feel particularly intimate with anyone either, at least not since his twin had signed up for a study abroad trip in Europe. He was always surrounded by people, but when it came down to it, he didn't think a single one of them _really _knew him as more than the class jokester and pretty boy.

After a while, Fai began to realize that what he liked most about Kurogane were his eyes. Not because they were nice to look at- which they were- but because they were eyes that saw things with unusual clarity. Kurogane pretended to ignore everything that didn't affect him, but in actuality he was more aware of his surroundings than your average teenager. When someone was being bullied, Kurogane was the one "conveniently" around to beat up the offenders, and in martial arts meets, he flawlessly read each of his opponents like an open book.

Of course, each of these observations of Fai's were made in absolute secret. Watching around corners, walking past Kurogane's locker with his head bent forward, attending competitions disguised with an over-sized fishing hat, acting like even more of a stalker than Kurogane's female fans. He loved Kurogane's eyes the most, but he was absolutely terrified of what would happen if that all-seeing gaze turned to him. All the same, he couldn't stop himself from chasing after him; it was fine as long as he didn't get caught in the act of it.

His erratic behavior was beginning to wear on the nerves of his friends, on the other hand. "You never used to hide behind statues and hang out around the third years' floor, did you?" Shougo pointed out after Fai did a spectacular dive bomb behind the bronze figure of Horitsuba's founder Clow Reed in order to avoid running into Kurogane after classes. "Is something wrong?"

"It's a social experiment... for, er... psychology, nee?"

"What are you trying to study?"

"The... irrational effects of falling in love?"

"Ah." This was something right up Shougo's alley, given the peculiar behavior of his pop idol girlfriend, Primera. "Just don't hurt yourself, kay?"

"I think," Fai said with a tragic sigh as Kurogane walked past them, "it might be too late for that."

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He never intended Kurogane to find out about his little (_giant sized) _crush. Though Fai was in the shy, embarrassed stage of young love, the fact that he was forming a special fondness for watching Kurogane in a temper meant his old urges were going to start popping up. Soon, he was going to want to start teasing Kurogane, setting him off, and driving him absolutely crazy for the sake of watching his beautiful eyes turn fiery and his veins begin pulsing. Fai wanted to make him mad— mad with anger, mad with love— but from what he knew of Kurogane, he doubted that he would be able to appreciate and desire that sort of attention and affection.

So when his time came to graduate from Horitsuba High, Fai was fully prepared to leave without saying a word to Kurogane or bringing himself to his attention. As sad as it was that he wouldn't get his daily fill of Kuro-tan (as Fai was starting to think of him in his head), he could manage the occasional stalking— no, sight-seeing— on the Horitsuba campus after classes. That, or do his best to get over him in their time apart. Fai wasn't sure he was the kind of person who could hang onto unrequited love indefinitely, even if the object of his affection was so appealing.

He woke up the day before his graduation to the sound of his roommate Sorata angrily crumpling up a sheet of paper and shooting it into the trash bin. "Ahhh, why can't I get this right?" he cried out, stretching his long arms over his head. "I know what I want to say, but..."

"What're you doing?" Fai asked, crawling out of bed. "We're already done with classes, you don't need to write any more essays, Sora-chan."

"It's not that. Now that we're graduating, I want to confess to Arashi-chan."

"Arashi-chan, Arashi-chan..." Fai murmured. "The really quiet third year girl?"

Sorata nodded. "If I don't say anything, we won't be seeing each other as much anymore. I don't want to go so long without the joy of being with my sweet honey!"

"Are you sure you'll get a yes?"

"I never know what to expect with that girl, honestly. But a man's gotta act, right?"

"Huh." Fai pursed his lips. He hadn't thought of it like that, and now it felt like he was taking the coward's way out. "So... the best way to confess is by putting a letter in their shoelocker?"

Sorata grinned. "I'd rather say it up front using something bold like the school's PA system so my honey knows just how much I love her, but the younger classes seem really into the letters. They compare them, put them in scrapbooks... so they have to be really good. That's why I'm having trouble... I can't let my undying affection overflow _too _much."

"Hmmm..." Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea. If Kurogane was going to turn him down anyways, better to just get it out of the way. And if he failed miserably, at least he was graduating and wouldn't have to face Kurogane again until he recovered.

Fai hurried over to his desk and pulled out a sheet of flowery stationery. _Dear Kuro-tan, _he scribbled down. _I don't think you know me, but I know you and think you're SEXY and INCREDIBLE. I want to know you and tease you and have you get angry at me because you're INCREDIBLY HOT when you're angry, and then I totally want you to DO ME with your super fine body and look at me and only me with eyes that think I'm beautiful. I understand that all of that probably grosses you out, but that's just the way I feel. I think if I got to know you better I'd only fall even more crazily in love with you._

Fai folded up the letter and exhaled in relief. There, it was all out. He doubted that it was the sort of thing Kurogane put in a scrapbook, but he also doubted that someone like Kurogane kept a scrapbook to begin with.

After digging up his uniform and getting dressed, Fai slipped out of the dorm and headed back to Horitsuba High. Most of the students were in the middle of finishing up their lessons, but a few of Fai's classmates were about, tying up loose ends with the teachers and clearing their things out of the clubrooms. No one seemed to notice Fai mingling near the third years' lockers and slipping his letter through the slots in Kurogane's.

After the letter was safely delivered, Fai crept back around to the other side of the wall so he could keep an eye on the students coming and going. He wanted to see Kurogane's reaction, for better or for worse. With a letter like that, there would be no way to avoid some sort of telling revelation from him.

Luckily, Kurogane was one of the first of the third years to leave since he was lax about attending club past competition season. Only Touya had reached the lockers before him, seeming in a bit of a hurry to head over to the elementary school to pick up his kid sister.

Kurogane pulled open his locker and picked up Fai's letter. "Not again," he grumbled, turning it over in hands. He glanced over at Touya. "Did you see who left this?"

"No one else was here when I came out."

"Hmph." Kurogane forcefully opened the stationery. "'Dear Kuro-tan-'... _Kuro-tan!?"_

Touya snorted. "Nice nickname."

Kurogane grit his teeth and read the rest to himself. Touya stuck around, his sister forgotten momentarily in favor of hearing more of the juicy love letter. Fai sucked in his breath.

"Oi," Kurogane said once he'd read his way through the letter. "Most girls our age wouldn't say something like they think you're hot when you're angry and want to have sex with you in a love letter, would they?"

Touya's eyes widened. "Does it _say that?_"

"Just answer the question."

"Of course they wouldn't! It's usually something along the lines of 'I really like you and hope you will consider my feelings.' Pure love, and all that."

"That's what I thought." Kurogane refolded the note and jammed it in his pocket.

"You're keeping it? I thought you usually threw those letters away as soon as you finished reading them?"

"I'd like to meet the guy wrote something as... as..." Kurogane waved his hand vaguely, "as this!"

Fai covered his mouth with his hands. Kurogane wanted to _meet _him! Now this was a step in the right direction. If only he'd thought to mark down a date or location where they could get together... maybe it would be fine to just walk into the room and confront him now, get the whole thing started as soon as he possibly could.

"Did they leave a name?" Touya asked.

"No," Kurogane said flatly (Fai's heart plummeted- how could he have forgotten?). "But I think I know who it is."

"Who?"

"I've been noticing someone out of the corner of my eye leaping away whenever I'm near them. I haven't gotten a good look at them yet, but I think I'd recognize them if I caught them standing still. It's getting annoying."

Fai exhaled slowly. It didn't matter if he'd left his name or not. Kurogane would know him. How could he not, with those eyes of his? Fai had felt afraid of them before, but suddenly he wanted to be pinned by them, completely exposed. It had to be nice, surely, to be seen wholly by someone so important.

Grinning to himself, Fai darted off to the courtyard, which he knew Kurogane would pass through on his way back to the dorm. He pretended to be doing something unobtrusive— drinking from the nearby fountain, which turned out to have such a low flow that he had to double over to get the short trickle of water from it— believing with all his heart that as soon as Kurogane was in his presence, some sort of magical moment of recognition would happen, and the rest would be history.

When he finished lapping up all the water he could get out of the fountain, Fai straightened up and looked both ways for some sign of Kurogane. All he saw was a retreating back walking side by side with Touya toward the dormitories. His figure did not look back; his eyes never sought for Fai's, and had most likely failed to recognize him altogether.

Fai felt his legs trembling, but he forced a smile and held his head high. It was so stupid, really. The love letter, the love he felt in general, this unexpected and senseless fascination with someone he didn't know. Some time away from it all was exactly what he needed. He should feel happy that he wouldn't have to hold onto his first failed affection, that he could now safely toss it away and act like himself again.

He turned his back on Kurogane, just missing a pair of red eyes turning one last time to look at him as if they couldn't possibly be torn away.

0o0o0o0o0o


	6. Sadness

**A/N:** This one is from a request from a friend to write a one-shot about KuroFai watching a movie together, one that for some reason or another makes Fai cry. The request made me think of a quote from _Kafka on the Shore_ ("Anyone who falls in love is searching for the missing pieces of themselves. So anyone who's in love gets sad when they think of their lover"), and that's kind of what helped me write this. Enjoy!

0o0o0o0o0o

**Six: Sadness.**

"Want to watch a movie?"

Kurogane stared at Fai for a minute. He was dangling off the couch upside-down, his arms wrapped around a black dog plushie (which allegedly resembled Kurogane) he'd brought with him from his room. He didn't look serious, so Kurogane wasn't actually sure whether he should listen to this latest stupid request or ignore it. Fai didn't _watch_ movies. He turned them on and got bored halfway through, and then used his boredom as an excuse to come up with creative ways to keep Kurogane from watching the movie, too. They'd been through this routine enough times to where Kurogane had banned TV watching in his room, excepting Monday nights when Maganyan aired.

"Wouldn't you rather just go to the bedroom?" Kurogane asked finally. If they were going to end up having sex anyways, may as well skip the whole pretense of watching a movie and get to the good part.

"Why? What do you mean?"

"You ended up gnawing on me five minutes in to every movie we watched this year."

"Did I?" Fai grinned. "But I want to watch a movie this time. Honestly."

"Then watch a movie."

"Something American, I think."

"Then watch something American."

"Maybe a musical."

"Fine."

"And I want you to watch it with me."

"No way in hell."

"Kurorin!"

"_No!_" Kurogane prided himself on the fact that he wouldn't do whatever Fai told him to simply because they were dating. Or because Fai was persuasive and really good at begging. He had principles, and watching musicals was against all of them.

"Please?"

"Why do you want to watch an American musical anyways? Trying to learn more songs to get on my nerves?"

"I want to become more cultured. Yui sounds so nice when he speaks Italian, right? Wouldn't it be great if I could speak English?"

"No," Kurogane said, having actually heard Fai speaking a rather grotesque mangling of English before. "But why a _musical?_" It had to be for the songs. Singing was one of Fai's favorite methods of annoying Kurogane, especially since the music always lodged itself in his brain and never left until he got to the point of wanting to rip it out.

Fai flipped through the Netflix library, skimming past musicals he'd "seen" already, most of which he only viewed long enough to learn a few torturous melodies from. "I think I'll watch _Funny Girl_. Sounds cute." Fai somersaulted off the couch and landed in Kurogane's lap, planting himself there firmly. "I'd like to see you try to get away from watching it now."

"You don't weigh anything. I could push you off."

"And if you do, I'll submit you singing 'Heavy Rotation' in the shower to the Horitsuba radio show."

"You were the one who got it stuck in my head!"

"Shut up and watch."

Kurogane didn't bother to alert Fai to the fact that he couldn't actually see the subtitles over his head without straining his neck in the process. He wasn't really in the mood to watch a movie, much less a musical, so he resigned himself to indifferently listening to the high-flown song and dance numbers and picking up the occasional English he was familiar with, but mostly feeling Fai's laughter tickling against his body, joyful and so very sweet.

Fai eventually figured out that Kurogane wasn't reading along with him, so he slumped down in his lap to give him a better view. Kurogane responded instead by resting his chin on Fai's head and closing his eyes. Now that Yui was back, they didn't sleep together very often anymore. They still had plenty of sex, but as soon as he'd recovered from the exertion, Fai would tip-toe back to his own room so Yui wouldn't be there alone. Kurogane missed it somewhat, the way it felt to fall asleep with someone in his arms. He inhaled the coconut milk shampoo scent of Fai's hair and pressed him tightly against his chest, little by little dozing off.

When he woke up, the movie looked as if was winding down. The main character was standing on a black stage singing her swan song with tears running down her cheeks. He peeked over at Fai, who was crying, too. Wasn't this movie supposed to be _funny_?

"Oi," Kurogane murmured, drawing his thumb down Fai's cheek, brushing away the tears. "What's this?"

"Ah, it's nothing," Fai said with a weak laugh. "It had a bit of a bittersweet ending. The heroine and her husband get a divorce, and even though he was a bit of a jerk, it's still rough to watch, right?"

"Don't make light of it. I've never seen you cry like this before. Not from sadness."

"How can you tell it's not because I'm moved, Kuro-tan?"

"I _know _you."

Fai sighed, then reached for the remote to shut off the movie. "It's just really sad, you know," he said. "When people go crazy for someone and fall in love and-" he sighed, "-it still just doesn't work. Why does that happen? If it's really love you're feeling, why can't it last forever?"

Kurogane shifted Fai in his lap so they could face each other. "You're not just talking about the movie, are you?"

Fai shook his head. "It's not like I think this will happen to us. But sometimes I just can't help but think of you leaving, and then..." He paused. "You've always told me I'm _too much_. I laugh and smile too much, I'm careless too much, I keep secrets too much. And I know for certain that I love you too much. So much that I could burn you out with it. What if I do?"

"I'm not that weak as to let that get me."

"_I know_. But I'm not all that strong sometimes. I feel like I could really make you hate me."

"Oi," Kurogane said, returning his hand to Fai's moist cheek. "Who says you're not strong? Are you willing to do anything you can to make sure this _forever _you want doesn't get away from you?"

Fai nodded.

"Then why are you crying over something that _isn't going to happen_?"

Little by little, a smile returned to Fai's face as he looked into Kurogane's gaze and saw just how serious he was. "Kurorin…" There was a beautiful, burning look in his eyes. And as heated as it was, Kurogane enjoyed it too much to ever be worn down by it.

"I'm sorry for being silly," Fai said quietly. "It was a good movie. And it was good just sitting there with you."

"And did you learn any English phrases from all of that?" Kurogane murmured, leaning into Fai and pressing a palm against his damp cheeks.

"Just one. _Let's kiss_."

"You already knew th-" he started to say, but Fai shut him up with the press of his lips, and soon everything else flew out of Kurogane's head except for the fact that the person he loved was in need of him, and that he alone could make every foolish worry in Fai's head disappear to nothingness.

Still, he pulled away for a brief moment. "Can't you ever just watch a movie without it leading to this?" he said, faking one of his trademark grumbles.

"I could," Fai said, smiling wetly, "but really, where's the fun in that?"

0o0o0o0o0o0


	7. Home

**A/N:** Midterms are coming up, so I thought I'd sneak a chapter in before I drowned in assignments. Something fluffy is suiting my current mood, so here you are. Enjoy!

0o0o0o0o0o

**Seven: Home**

Fai was in the middle of brushing his teeth when Kurogane burst into his dorm with a large black duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He turned to him in surprise, foaming at the mouth with toothpaste. It was the weekend and Yui had gone off with friends visiting from Europe, so Fai had taken advantage of the solitude to sleep in. He'd only just woken up, and hadn't been planning on doing anything in particular that afternoon, which was why he hadn't at all expected Kurogane to show up at his door packed for a trip.

"Oi," Kurogane started to say. "Are you—" He paused, looking Fai up and down. "_What _are you wearing?"

Fai turned to the sink and spit out the toothpaste. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked once he'd rinsed out his mouth. "One of your hoodies, Kuro-rin!"

"And… nothing else?"

"Does it look like it?"

Kurogane stared at Fai's legs for a moment then cleared his throat. "The New Year. Are you doing anything?"

Fai lifted an eyebrow. "I don't really have a home to go back to, or anything."

"You have a brother here now."

"He has guests in town. I think New Year's is a get-drunk holiday for them judging by the amount of liquor they brought."

"So you have no plans?"

"Not really." Fai glanced at Kurogane's duffel. "Speaking of which, shouldn't you have left by now, Kuro-tan? Aren't you going home to see your parents?"

"I am. But…" He trailed off. "They asked me to bring you."

Fai's dropped his toothbrush into the sink. "You… you told them? About us?"

"The stupid mistress let it slip that I was seeing someone last time they visited."

"And… they know it's me? They are expecting someone like me, right?" Fai smiled anxiously. "Not… a girl?"

Kurogane shrugged. "They're expecting the person I'm seeing. That would be you. End of story."

"So blunt." Fai gazed at his reflection in the mirror. He still looked a bit drowsy from waking up, but his complexion was good and his hair manageable. What would Kurogane's family think? Would someone like him do for their son, or was that expecting too much? "When are we leaving?"

"Now."

"You will let me pack, right?"

"If you hurry up."

"Kuro-tan is such a tough taskmaster!" Fai gave his reflection one last critical glance. "I'll make sure I pack something nice for our temple visit."

Kurogane nodded, watching from the hall as Fai walked to his bedroom and began filling his suitcase as quickly as he could. "Oi," he said casually. "Will I be getting that hoodie back?"

"Really, Kuro-tan-sensei," Fai said, turning to him with knowing eyes. "Don't be coy about it now. It's only you and me here."

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kurogane's family lived in a small house on the countryside, complete with a small garden and a sweeping lawn that Fai could envision Kurogane playing on when he was younger. One of the trees still had a wooden swing tied to it, though the seat of it was now buried in snow.

"Careful, the path gets icy in winter," Kurogane cautioned as they stepped out of his car. "Keep your balance."

"Your house… it's…"

"Small?" Kurogane prompted.

"No, that's not it. It's… peaceful." Fai had once lived in such a place with his mother, father, and Yui, but after his parents had died, he and Yui had moved permanently to the Horitsuba campus under the watch of their teachers. Fai had barely left it since. He had forgotten that the country had been like this, so still and beautiful.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure once you and my father have had a few drinks…" Kurogane slid open the front door, and the two of them peeled off their boots at the entryway. Fai could already smell something spicy cooking in the kitchen.

A head peeked around the corner. Kurogane's mother. She was a beautiful woman with fair skin and full-bodied black hair that fell to her waist. She looked almost too young to be anyone's parent, but Fai could see the resemblance to Kurogane through her well-structured face.

Another head appeared beside hers. It belonged to an older man with a long black ponytail who looked so much like Kurogane that Fai almost did a double take when he saw him. If not for a few age lines on his face, a slightly taller stature, and longer hair, Fai was certain the two could pass for each other if pressed.

"Welcome back, Kurogane," his mother said warmly, at last stepping out into the hall. "How was your trip?"

"I'm back. It snowed a little, but it wasn't too bad."

"Welcome back, son." His father smiled widely, revealing slightly pointed teeth. Another difference from Kurogane; he was much more expressive. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Ah. This is—"

"Fai," Fai said for him, in case Kurogane was going to substitute an insult or "that guy" for his name, as he always did. "Fai Flourite. I teach Chemistry at Horitsuba, and will be in your care for the holiday!"

Kurogane's mother's eyes lit up. "I remember seeing you last time I visited. You were the really young and pretty teacher Yuuko-sama spoke so highly of!"

"He's older than me," Kurogane muttered, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"That so?" His father chuckled as if he thought this was particularly amusing. "Well, Fai-kun, thanks for putting up with our son this long. I was beginning to think no one would be able to, honestly. Glad to hear he's not as hopeless as we thought."

"Oh, _please_."

His father laughed again, then placed his hand on Fai's shoulder. "I can tell just by looking at him that you've taken good care of our son, so I feel like you're part of the family already. Welcome home."

Fai felt his cheeks flushing a little bit, but he remembered his manners and thanked both for their kindness to him. He could feel Kurogane's eyes on him, trying to disguise a slight look of pride. Fai had worried that the whole thing would give Kurogane an odd perspective on their relationship, as if he would finally clue in to the fact that he was dating a _man_, one who wouldn't miraculously be able to give him children or a fairy tale life, but if anything, Kurogane simply looked contented that his lover and parents were perfectly fine with one another.

_I'm so happy, _Fai wanted to say, but he held himself back. Surely they could all tell just by looking at him.

"Oh my, I shouldn't be taking my mind off of dinner," Kurogane's mother said suddenly. "I think I hear a pot boiling over…"

"You go do what you need to do. Kurogane, we've got a kotatsu set up if you want to warm up."

"Yeah, okay." He held out his hand to Fai. "You coming?"

"Of course." Their two hands wrapped around each other, warming up instantly at the simple act of a loving touch.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

One delicious feast and several cups of sake later, Kurogane and his father were passed out under the kotatsu, snoring softly in their sprawled out stupor. His mother looked down on them fondly as she cleared away their dishes. "Some things never change," she mused to herself. "They can grow in so many ways, and yet still in their hearts stay the same."

"Can I help you with some of those?" Fai asked. He'd laid off the alcohol for the night, and was more capable of helping out then the other two drinkers. He'd guessed that he would need to keep his wits about him to make it through any questions his boyfriend's parents had for him, but they hadn't asked so much as simply listened to him when he'd spoken, enjoying his teasing mannerisms and first-hand stories of Kurogane at school.

"Please. Let's at least get them rinsed off a little."

Together, the two of them got all the dishes in the sink and began to wipe them down. They were silent for a while, a thoughtful and comfortable silence, and Fai surprised himself a bit by being the first to break it.

"Nee, okaa-san?"

She smiled at him, clearly pleased by his using the affectionate address. "Yes, Fai-kun?"

"I really, really love Kuro-chan." Fai whispered this, in case Kurogane had woken up and was listening. "I hope it's okay that we'll be staying together… for forever, I hope."

She set aside her work for a moment so that she could look up at Fai seriously. "If you've been going to Horitsuba, I'm sure you've known Kurogane for a while now. You know as well as I do that he's had a hard time interacting genuinely with people. He pretends not to care for anyone, while in actuality caring quite deeply… but he never allows that sincerity to be discovered, if he can help it. It's always troubled me, as a mother, to think that there might not be anyone who understood him or saw that his heart held more kindness than he showed. When you came here, I was so glad to see that he can be with you without needing to dismiss your importance to him, even if he isn't as forthcoming about it as someone else would be." She reached up with her dry hand to touch Fai's cheek. "And you… it's every mother's dream to have someone who looks so happy and in love when he is with their child. Kurogane really can't do any better than that."

Fai smiled back at her, his lips trembling just a little. "I've never really felt like I had a family like this before. It's really nice, nee? Especially since… by meeting the two of you, I can see how Kuro-tan became such an amazing person."

"You really are too kind. I would be proud to call you my son."

By time Fai made it back to the kotatsu, he felt like he was in a daze. He could just barely remember his own mother, and a part of him had always wondered if she would have loved him had she seen who he'd grown into. His fears had always carried over in regards to Kurogane's family, and he'd never been sure how they would think of him, or if they'd want someone like him anywhere near his son. But he felt a little bit better now. He had a family, after all. A family the person he loved the most had given to him.

As he tucked himself under the kotatsu, a strong arm reached out to wrap around him, pulling him closer.

"Hey," a half-asleep voice murmured into his ear.

"Hey."

"Why are you trying to hide it?"

"Hmmm?"

"You didn't have to whisper it. I've heard you say it to me before."

"That I love you and want to stay with you forever?"

"Yeah."

"You were listening?"

"I don't have to hear it. I know that you'll say it even if no one asks. You always do"

Fai held his breath. "What can I say? I _am _in love with you. There's no point in pretending as if I'm not."

Kurogane's lips pressed against his ear, warm and gentle. "That's your kind of love. This kind of love is mine."

It was the first time Fai had ever heard him say it. He felt like his heart would never stop pounding as he replayed the words over and over again in his mind. _This kind of love is mine. Not just like or want, but love._ By time his heart rate finally slowed a little, Kurogane had already fallen back to sleep, his arms still holding on tightly to Fai.

Fai wasn't sure of the exact moment the New Year came upon him, but he felt as if he had nothing more to wish for, and the beautiful beginning he had always longed for had found him without waiting for his prayer. He couldn't think of anything in all the world that would make him happier than this, than simply being here in a home surrounded by people who had welcomed him in it.

0o0o0o0o0o0


	8. Guise

**A/N: **Sooo, Fai mentioned a little cosplay adventure he and Kurorin had back in Story 2, so now it's time for that Chekov's gun to be fired! This chapter bumps up to a light M rating for obvious reasons. Enjoy!

0o0o0o0o0

**Eight: Guise**

When Kurogane made his way into the kitchen after waking up, the first thing he saw was Fai standing in front of the stove in a frilly pink apron, making chocolate muffins while reading off a letter that bore Yuuko's trademark butterfly signature. There was no denying that Fai looked good in the apron—in spite of how vehemently Kurogane tried to ignore it, Fai _did _suit feminine clothes almost indecently well—but the promise of chocolate for breakfast paired with yet another unavoidable summons from Yuuko made Kurogane wish he had stayed in bed.

"It's another party, Kuro-tan!" Fai explained, noting Kurogane's peeved expression. "Yuuko-san thinks we should do something for Halloween."

"What, is she going to fly us to America to demand candy from strangers?"

"No, silly. She's fine settling for a costume party this year."

Kurogane snorted. "Let me guess. Mandatory attendance or else face expulsion from the Horitsuba campus?"

"That's Yuuko-san for you! Looks like we'll have to go."

"Fine. But I'm not dressing up."

"That's mandatory, too."

Kurogane released an incoherent snarl.

"Look," Fai said, sliding his muffins into the oven. "I saw a site on the internet the other day which had a really great discount on some Maganyan cosplays, nee? Since you like that series so much, why don't I just buy those and make the whole dressing up thing as painless as possible for you?"

Kurogane did his best to try and hide the fact that this actually sounded like a halfway tempting idea. "The whole thing is stupid," he grumbled. "But if they're not expensive, I _guess _we could do that."

Fai leaned down to press against his forehead, clearly not fooled by his nonchalant tone. "I'll put an order in this afternoon, Kuro-pon."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

On the night of Yuuko's party, the campus of Horitsuba was positively swarming with costumes of all kinds. Kurogane had to admit that whoever Fai ordered the Maganyan number from did a great job with it. Within minutes, he looked like a dead ringer for Sho, the ninja assassin protagonist, and the add-on weaponry was so realistic that he couldn't resist the urge to try out a few of his best martial arts moves with them.

While he was fitting his black boots, a beautiful woman with ornately pinned black hair opened the door to the room and gazed at him approvingly. Kurogane's mouth fell open. He'd know that midnight blue kimono with flames of silver across the sleeves from anywhere. She was Sayo, the prophetess who Sho meets on his journeys and falls hopelessly in love with, though fate had thus far worked its hand to keep them apart (at least as of Chapter 107).

He stared into Sayo's eyes. They were the only thing that didn't seem to belong to her as he knew her. Instead of being an inky, unfathomable black, they were a pale blue that held a contented smile around the corners, warm and familiar.

"_You_," Kurogane said in disbelief, "you bought _Sayo?_"

"Of course," Fai said, as if it was only natural to be appearing there arrayed so much like a woman that if Kurogane didn't know those eyes so well, he'd be tempted to believe that the Seer herself had accidentally stumbled into their world. "She's the other main character, isn't she?"

"The main _female _character."

"Were you expecting me to go as Sho's meanie rival?" Fai's lower lip jutted out. "Or his sidekick? His 100 year old mentor? Don't you think this looks much, much better, Kuro-tan-sensei?"

He didn't answer immediately, instead taking Fai's hand and studying it intently. It was much bigger than Sayo's, and the fingers were longer and maybe thinner. Sayo was forever pressing her hands over her lips, holding back her voice for fear of saying and revealing too much, but Fai's fingers grasped his tightly, exerting pressure that was far from delicate.

"I've never understood," Kurogane said finally, "why you feel the need to dress like a woman all the time."

"To bother you, mostly," Fai said with a laugh. "And it works, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but that's not all, is it?" He drew his thumb across Fai's cheek. "You like hiding behind things, but it's more than that, too."

"Mmmm? What does Kuro-rin think I'm doing here?"

"I think you're being beautiful. In a different way than you are normally."

Fai's face seemed to flush beneath his layer of heavy makeup. "Beautiful like Sayo, you mean?"

"It's not Sayo's face I'm looking at right now. Those eyes are _not _hers."

He bent down to kiss Fai's painted lips, which felt slicker than usual, but were still undeniably _his_. He hadn't kissed anyone else before, hadn't even felt the slightest desire to, but he knew that there was no one else in the world who could feel like this, who could move their mouth in that exact way to feel at the same time so soft and so demanding, who could press against him so distinctly that even with the wig and the robes and the makeup, there was no way it could be anyone else but _him._

"Mmmm," Fai said, pulling away gently. "Not that I'm not enjoying this, but we're going to make ourselves late if we go much further."

"That's fine."

"I would definitely agree, _Sho-sama_, but there's a mandatory attendance rule in place here!"

"We can show up late. Just say the outfit was harder to put on than you expected."

"It was, too. But, really." Fai lifted an eyebrow suggestively. "Are you turned on right now? By _cosplaying? _I thought that was my kink."

"I'm turned on by _you_."

"We'll mess up the costumes."

"I'll be careful."

"Hmmm." Fai's lips parted into a smile. "Well, it seems stupid to keep turning down a treat that I really, really want to take a bite out of. You make a really hot ninja, did you know?"

Kurogane simply released a strangled sound and pulled him to the bedroom.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

This was technically not their first time doing something like this. Given Fai's proclivities, he'd always managed to slip one or two new twists into their love life. He hadn't gotten around to finding a maid uniform in his size, but there had been instances of kimono borrowed from Yuuko, and once even a silky nightgown that his old roommate Sorata had gotten him for his birthday as a joke. During those times, he had always been the one to enjoy himself the most. Kurogane had gone along with all of it to make him happy, but he hadn't initially understood why Fai went through such lengths to make believe he was someone else.

But now at last he figured out the allure, saw that this wasn't just an elaborate game of pretend. He wasn't Sho and Fai wasn't Sayo, but they felt good and felt each other in what they were wearing. They weren't two characters falling in love; they were reality, two people who _were _in love, two people who loved no matter which ways they appeared before each other.

Fai undid his robes, but left them hanging from his shoulder, the dark blue standing out against his pale skin. A few strands of his wig clung to the heat of his flushed cheeks. It was odd to have his blonde hair covered in black, but it was beautiful in its own way. Like Snow White, hair as dark as night, skin as white as snow, the fairest study of contrasts of them all.

"Feels a little weird, doesn't it, Kuro-myuu?" Fai laughed lightly as Kurogane pressed his lips against the points of his collarbones. "This isn't anything like Sayo would do, nee?"

"But you're the one doing it."

"Fantasy is completely lost on you, isn't it? But it's fine, as long I'm the one you're seeing."

They were still partway in costume when Kurogane entered him, the silk of Fai's kimono brushing against his legs when they moved. They were Sayo's robes, but Fai was the one they looked so glorious on as if they were made for him instead. Surely that was why it felt unnaturally amazing and exciting, why Kurogane felt every single movement surging within him higher and stronger than the silver flames burning bright between their joined bodies. Fai usually felt incredible— Kurogane wasn't quite sure what it was about him that made him so deliriously seductive when they were making love, but whether it was his glistening eyes or the sweet notes of his voice or even the sweat beading his forehead, he always felt himself overpowered by the sight of Fai beneath him— but today there was something else added to the equation. A different side to both Fai and himself he had never seen before, something he had not been expecting to find.

"Ah, you're really… getting into this," Fai murmured, his fingers digging into the fabric of Kurogane's dark, shadowy garment, the very same they had seen in all of the chapters they had read together, Fai peering over Kurogane's shoulder whenever the new volume came. "We should have done this… ages ago."

Kurogane wanted to tell him to stop talking, that this strength of love on display had always been in him and would have been triggered sooner rather than later, but he was so lost within Fai's beauty, somehow even more undeniable than ever, that he couldn't make out a single coherent word. He simply continued to push his body against Fai, into Fai, watching fixedly into those blue eyes staring back at him, lost in the same pleasure with him at the very same moment.

He normally would have had an echo of foreboding somewhere in his mind that they wouldn't be able to get Fai's wig back just the way it was and his kimono would be wrinkled and Yuuko would be able to guess the reason why they were late in a heartbeat and it would take him weeks to be able to look at Sho and Sayo normally when he watched or read Maganyan. But for a few transcendent moments he forgot everything else but the familiar heat wrapping around him, the person he loved looking to him unabashedly beautiful in so many endless ways.


	9. Welcome

**A/N:** Homework is finished, so time for a new chapter. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and followed so far, I enjoy hearing your feedback! Please enjoy!

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**Nine: Welcome**

Fai didn't like waking up early on the weekend, so he was a bit surprised when his alarm went off at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning. He spent a few minutes grumbling and fumbling for the snooze button before cracking open an eye and looking at his calendar. The day was marked by a bright red heart outlined in pink with orange polka dots surrounding it. He stared at it for a moment, then suddenly shot out of bed, his face wide awake and excited.

Without pulling a comb through his bed hair or brushing his teeth or even changing into something more presentable than his pajamas, Fai hurried out of his room and threw open the front door leading into the dormitory's long and narrow hallway. He shared the floor with some of the other male Horitsuba High teacher— the school nurse Seishirou-sensei, Fujitaka-sensei from the history department, Ichiro-sensei from mathematics, and Ueda-sensei, the temporary stand-in for the Home-Ec/Cooking post— but the room next door had been empty since Aoki-sensei had moved out to start a family.

This morning, the door was propped open by a tall stack of boxes. They were marked on the side with _his_ handwriting. Filled with _his _possessions. And there _he _was, standing over his things with rolled up shirtsleeves, his muscles straining as he tried to maneuver a media stand through the door.

Fai stared at him hungrily. They hadn't seen much of each other since Fai graduated from the university, but his feelings hadn't faded in the slightest since then. In fact, Kurogane's extended absence from his life had made it even more satisfying when they _did _cross paths with each other by chance on campus. The fact that they'd known each other from the education department made it okay to exchange greetings, and Fai could occasionally get away with dragging Kurogane by the arm to an udon stand to treat his cute kouhai. Kurogane was the very picture of indifference on these occasions, but the fact that he let Fai get away with his whims in the first place was still somewhat uncharacteristic.

Kurogane had looked particularly engaged in the task of getting his things into the room, but as soon as Fai peeked out into the hallway, his head instantly turned in his direction. They stared at each other for a long moment, not saying anything. Kurogane's eyes were hard to read, but he didn't look upset or even annoyed. If Fai had to put his finger on it, he thought Kurogane simply looked like he had expected to see him, and was unperturbed now that he had.

Their eye contact finally broke when Kurogane crossed over the threshold to his room to set down the stand he'd been carrying. A few seconds later, he went back out into the hallway and looked at Fai again. "Are you just going to stand there staring?"

Fai grinned. He loved this brusqueness. He loved that Kurogane didn't flirt or joke, and that everything about him was pure bluntness. His straightforwardness made him so easy to tease and fluster.

"Does Kuro-tan-sensei want me to help?" he asked.

"I can tell you just rolled out of bed right now. Eat something. And put something on. Then ask again."

Fai looked down. His choice of pajamas from the night before had been an oversized t-shirt and hot pink boxers that were getting a little bit short for him. They did accentuate his nice legs, and he wondered if Kurogane appreciated them at all.

"Then give me just a minute, Kuro-sama. I'll bring over some coffee and snacks for all your hard work."

"It's _Kurogane_. And I don't drink coffee." He folded his arms. "If you insist, I won't say no to tea."

"Then I'll be back with some tea in a bit."

Fai ducked back into his room. There was something special about how his body felt every time he talked to Kurogane. His nerves felt excited, his heart light, and every breath he took in felt more filling. He was glad for the excuse to go back to his room for a moment to let out his excess energy by dancing around as he changed into his day clothes. But once he had calmed down a bit, he wanted to go back right away and see him. The tea took too long to boil, and the fact that he could hear Kurogane jostling his furniture and boxes from next door made his whole body tingle, as if it knew that it needed— desired more than anything— to be somewhere else, with him.

Finally, he poured the tea into two cups and padded over to Kurogane's room. It was an absolute mess of half emptied boxes and appliances and sports equipment, but Fai was able to weave his way through it and make a path to the small sofa Kurogane had set up in the main room.

Kurogane took his tea and gulped it down. There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead which Fai very much wanted to wipe from him, but he had to keep himself in check at the moment. He usually didn't mind setting Kurogane off, but he didn't exactly want to be sent out of the room right away either.

"So, Kuro-sama is the Phys Ed teacher, huh?" Fai said, crossing his long legs. "I was thrilled when Yuuko-sama announced that you were hired. There's nothing better than spending time with my cutest kouhai, after all!"

Kurogane gave him a withering look. "Don't get any ideas. I've already heard about those jokes you and that insane mistresses are always playing together."

"Just keeping our everyday life interesting! The students are pretty good about causing trouble on their own, too."

"You egg them on, don't you?"

"Guilty as charged!"

Kurogane shook his head. "I noticed that about you. Both you and her- you're happiest when the people around you are put in uncomfortable situations."

Fai chuckled. "You don't even know the half of it, Kurorin."

"I might. Better than you think."

Fai lifted an eyebrow. "You make it sound like you've been watching me when I haven't been paying attention."

"Interpret it how you like."

"You can't say something like that and then be vague about it!"

They fell silent for a moment. What was he supposed to say to _that_? Kurogane's awareness of him had certainly been better than what it was in high school, but wasn't that all it was?

"When you joke so much," Kurogane said finally, "it's like a smokescreen. It's hard to tell when you're really happy, and hard to tell when you're really serious. You can look overjoyed at every moment without anyone really noticing how you really feel. And you're not someone anyone can know without watching. That's it."

Fai gaped at him. He sipped his tea because he didn't know what else to do. This was what he had always wanted and feared about Kurogane knowing him too well. Those beautiful and terrifying eyes of his were no joke. They didn't just see; they saw and _understood_. Even the parts of himself that Fai was uncertain of were as clear as day to Kurogane.

Little by little, Fai began to smile. It was as genuine as anything he'd ever felt. He was in love with this person, so much so that having weaknesses that very few other people had ever seen picked apart filled him with a sense of encompassing warmth. It was even perfectly fine if Kurogane could be like this with everyone; he was simply happy that they could be together and talk to one another without the urge to hide from it anymore.

"Well, well," Fai said finally. "I guess Kuro-tan-sensei is a much better guy than I thought."

Kurgoane narrowed his eyes. "You _guess_?"

"I mean, you really do seem suspicious at first glance, don't you?"

"_Suspicious? _Do you want to get tossed out of the room?"

"Huwaaaah, Kuro-sensei's mad!" Fai laughed and reached out to grab Kurogane's face. Before he could jerk away from his hands or protest, Fai leaned in and gave his cheek a swift peck. "I'm so glad Kuro-sama's here. We're going to have so much fun together, I can tell."

He thought Kurogane would get angry with him, but to his surprise, he simply looked at him with a somewhat tight expression.

"That sort of thing is something that someone who's always joking shouldn't do," he said darkly.

"I can be serious sometimes, too."

"And you make it pretty damn difficult to tell the difference."

Fai smiled. "I'm sure you will tell, Kuro-sama. If anyone can, it's you."

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End file.
